Mas des Bouillons

If you were to draw a circle around the most charming villages in the Luberon, you’d find Mas des Bouillons almost at the centre of it. From famous Gordes to lesser-known gems like Goult and Oppède le Vieux, not forgetting the wine hub of Ménerbes, all the sights, stories and flavours of this endlessly appealing region are within easy reach.

The Mas is a beautifully restored property set into a lovingly-tended Provençal garden. The owner is a keen gardener who has filled her 1500m2 plot with carefully chosen native Mediterranean plants that scent and colour your surroundings all summer long. Beyond the traditional dry-stone walls are a cluster of half a dozen or so properties, and beyond them you’ll find Gordes (2km), packed with restaurants and cafes for every occasion from breakfast to blow-the-budget dinner. This beautifully photogenic old town does attract a fair number of visitors in the height of summer, but Mas des Bouillons sits just far enough away to escape the hubbub, offering peace and privacy within its thick, tawny walls. It’s a wonderfully relaxing base for a family, with a good-sized pool and air-con in the bedrooms to ensure everyone gets a decent night’s sleep. Three double bedrooms and a tastefully adult feel make it equally well-suited to two or three couples looking for high levels of comfort with a dash of authenticity.

Local Area

Gordes is just two kilometres away, listed as one of France’s most beautiful villages. All your local services are here, with far-reaching views of the Luberon landscape from its hilltop position. Many of the region’s most sought-after towns and villages are within a 5 to 20-minute drive, including Lacoste, Ménerbes and the red cliffs of Roussillon. The once-abandoned village of Oppède-le-Vieux is now flourishing once again and definitely well worth a look, not least for its dramatic hillside location.

Summers are long and golden, perfect for lazy pool days, but if you’re here in early or late season this is wonderful time to explore the myriad walking and cycling routes that cross the region. This part of Provence is hilly enough to challenge even on a short outing (and often features on the Tour de France circuit) so take your time and enjoy the sweeping views over olive groves, cherry orchards and charming hilltop villages. For younger adventurers there’s the Accrobranches forest park at nearby Lagnes, and if you want to capture some iconic Provençal shots, there’s nowhere more photogenic than the Abbaye de Sénanque, particularly when the lavender fields are in bloom during June and July.

Our choice of French properties is diverse, ranging from simple charm to genuine luxury and style. Much of our portfolio is privately owned, and price alone is therefore not a universal guide. We contract all our accommodation in person, and each property has its individual appeal.

To help you make the right choice based on your own priorities, we have devised a simple grading guide to be considered in conjunction with each individual property description, awarding up to a maximum of five stars for the below categories.